Seven people showed up at the Olds RCMP detachment late last week to hear a presentation by RCMP proactive recruiter Const. Wilson Yee.
Seven people showed up at the Olds RCMP detachment late last week to hear a presentation by RCMP proactive recruiter Const. Wilson Yee.
Yee said graduating police officers earn $50,000 a year while on probation and can make $65,000 a year after passing probation. They can make up to $160,000 a year if they're willing to be posted in jobs/places others don't want to take on.
However, he warned the RCMP have very high standards, adding police officers must have integrity, honesty, professionalism, compassion, respect and accountability.
For example, you have to be honest. If you've done anything wrong, tell them up front, because they dig back into your past 10 years. So if there's anything there, they'll find it, Yee said.
He said in his own case, RCMP expressed concern about some of the people he hung around with. Fortunately for him, they backed off, to enable him to join the RCMP.
Potential recruits have to pass a written exam as well as undergo several other exams, including a polygraph, medical evaluation, hearing test, vision examination and psychological evaluation.
They also look into other aspects of your personality, including your honesty, abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, etc.
Recruits also have to demonstrate physical fitness. That includes doing a timed obstacle course simulating a chase.
"As long as you're honest that's all that matters," Yee said. "Once they find out, your credibility is gone."
The RCMP will take recruits as young as 19 at time of admission, but generally take people who have ample driving experience, have diverse life experience and have a valid, unrestricted driver's licence. The average age of a recruit is 28.
If they're accepted, they undergo training in Regina.
Yee stressed being a police officer is not the only job available in the RCMP. There are more than 150 positions in the force, ranging from police officer or dog handler to lab techs.
There are even positions at the United Nations or in some embassies around the world, however, those are very difficult to get.
"Before I started this job I didn't know half of this stuff existed," Yee said.
Yee was asked if recruits can be posted where they ask to be placed.
He said that's true to some degree; recruits are asked to name their top three preferences. But that doesn't mean they'll get number 1 or even any one of those three.
Yee is originally from Calgary. He ended up in small towns, including Drayton Valley. He says that was great, because he got to encounter a wide variety of tasks and experiences, making him a better officer.
Yee warned life in the RCMP training depot can be gruelling. The hours are long, from about 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Lots of physical fitness is involved.
And the instructors are tough.
However, that's for good reason, Yee says, adding anything the instructors say to recruits is actually mild, compared to the abuse they can be hit with by suspects or bystanders while on the job.
Those attending the event came from as far as Innisfail.
They said they saw joining the RCMP as a chance to serve and protect people.
"It can be somebody's worst day of their life and you can be that steady rock," one said.
Most were young Caucasian men. A couple of them were women, one of whom was there to gain information for her husband.
Several were back for at least a second time to join the force. Some have also expressed interest in joining Calgary police.
Some said they've wanted to be police officers ever since they can remember.
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